When you visit Iceland, it won’t take long to notice that the colorful puffin has become an unofficial symbol of the country.
These charming birds captivate tourists, drawing them to visitor centers, towering bird cliffs, and scenic boat tours around the island.
The Atlantic puffin truly has a magical appeal. Curious to learn more about this endearing bird? We’ve gathered some fascinating puffin facts to enhance your Icelandic adventure. From their unique personalities and quirky habits to the best times and places to see them, here’s everything you need to know.
1. Puffins: Masters of Diving and Flapping
At first glance, puffins might remind you of penguins with their monochrome plumage and compact wings. But unlike penguins, puffins are excellent fliers! Despite their small wingspan, puffins work hard to get airborne, flapping their wings an astonishing 400 times per minute. Their effort is worth it—they can reach speeds of up to 88 kilometers per hour (55 miles per hour).
2. Puffins Spend Most of Their Lives at Sea
For most of the year, puffins live far from land, floating on the open sea and diving for fish. These seabirds spend around 8 months at sea, only returning to land during the breeding season. Their nesting season begins in mid-April, and by the end of August, they head back out to sea for the winter months.
Puffins mate for life, but they don’t stay with their partners year-round. Instead, they reunite at the same nesting grounds each spring. Together, they raise their chicks, called pufflings, for a few months before parting ways again.
Puffins nest in underground burrows that can extend up to a meter long. Their nesting grounds are spread across the coasts of Iceland, Greenland, Norway, Scotland, and Ireland. For instance, Ireland’s Cliffs of Moher serve as a Special Protected Area for seabirds and are home to numerous puffin colonies during the summer months.
3. Puffins: The Clowns of the Sea
Despite their impressive swimming and diving skills, puffins have earned the nickname clowns of the sea and for good reason! Watching them take off and land on water is often a hilarious sight. Before takeoff, puffins awkwardly run across the water using their colorful feet for momentum.
Their landings, however, are even more entertaining, frequently ending in belly-flops or a tumble and roll across the water’s surface. Their bright, multicolored beaks also contribute to their clown-like appearance, making them one of the most amusing seabirds to watch in action.
4. Puffins' Beaks Change with the Seasons
The puffin’s iconic striped, brightly colored beak is one of its most recognizable features. However, this vivid appearance is only seasonal. During their time at sea in winter, puffins shed the colorful portions of their beaks along with the black markings around their eyes.
In winter, their beaks take on a dull, greyish tone, making them harder to identify. Even puffin researchers know little about their behavior during the months they spend at sea.
5. Puffins Are Built for Efficiency
Puffins are not only skilled divers but also efficient fishers. When it’s their turn to feed their puffling, they use their specially adapted, notched beaks to hold onto multiple fish at once while diving back in for more. A single puffin can carry up to 10 small fish in its beak at one time! This clever adaptation allows puffins to maximize their fishing trips, ensuring their chicks are well-fed.
Puffin facts: smaller than you think | Animal Fact Files
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